Absolute value functions are essential in many areas of mathematics, including calculus. The absolute value of a number is its distance from zero on the number line, regardless of direction. It is always non-negative. For any real number, the absolute value is denoted by vertical bars, like this: \( |x| \).
The absolute value function can be defined piecewise as:
- \( |x| = x \text{, if } x \text{ is greater than or equal to } 0 \)
- \( |x| = -x \text{, if } x \text{ is less than } 0 \)
In the given problem, we encounter absolute values in the expression \( f(t) = \frac{|3+t| - |t| - 3}{t} \). As shown in the steps, we need to consider different intervals for \( t \) to simplify the absolute values.